Bombing casualties

Subject: Bombing casualties
From: Pete M
Date: 12 Mar 01 - 02:46 PM

Just heard that an incident involving an F18 on some kind of demonstration bombing mission has led to the deaths (5 reported so far but unconfirmed) of US Eurpean and NZ military personnel and observers.

Pete M

Subject: RE: Bombing casualties
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Mar 01 - 03:25 PM

Thanks, Pete, I hadn't heard about this and my niece's husband is sometimes there with the air force. Fortunately is not now. I am sorry for those who lost someone to this, though. Here is the AP story:

WASHINGTON -- A U.S. Navy F/A-18 jet accidentally dropped a bomb on a group of military personnel at a bombing range in northern Kuwait on Monday, killing six people, including four Americans, Pentagon officials said.

Details were sketchy.

One official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said an estimated 10 people were injured. A second official said no civilians were involved.

President Bush, traveling in Panama City, Fla., opened a speech on his budget proposals and military spending with brief mention of the accident in Kuwait.

"I'm reminded today of how dangerous service can be. We lost some servicemen today in Kuwait in a training accident," Bush said. "I hope you'll join me in moment of silence for those soldiers and their families. God Bless."

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman would say only that there had been a "training accident" and that there were an unspecified number of casualties.

Other officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said five had been killed, including four Americans. The nationality of the fifth was not immediately known.

The accident happened at the Udairi bombing range in Kuwait.

An official said the Navy plane, which was flying from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf, dropped what was believed to be a 500-pound gravity bomb. The circumstances of the accident were not immediately clear.

The United States military has operated regularly from airfields and an Army base in Kuwait since the 1991 Gulf War, when a U.S.-led coalition expelled the occupying Iraqi army from the tiny Persian Gulf nation.

Subject: RE: Bombing casualties
From: Amos
Date: 12 Mar 01 - 08:35 PM

Can't wait to see the investigatory outtake on this one. Stoned crew? I'd give it 3 to 5. A

Subject: RE: Bombing casualties
From: Sorcha
Date: 12 Mar 01 - 09:49 PM

Oh, Friendly Fire.......there's a song in that title somewhere. Somebody use it.

Subject: RE: Bombing casualties
From: Pete M
Date: 12 Mar 01 - 11:11 PM

Sorcha,

not a song, and no clear parallel, but Amos's comment reminded me of this poem.

Incident, Second World War (in memoriam P.M.B. Matson)

It was near the beginning of the war. 1940 or '41, when everything was fairly new to almost everyone. The bombing of cities we understood, and blackouts, and certainly, thanks To the German Army and Airforce, we'd seen dive bombers and tanks. But when the fighters came in to strafe with hedge-hopping low attacks How many bits and pieces would be picked up to fill the sacks? Aircraft cannon were not much fun for the weary grounded troops and there wasn't much entertainment when the Stukas were looping loops but nobody knew for certain the percentage who wouldn't get up how many would be donating their arms and legs to Krupp. So somebody in an office had the very bright idea, why not set up an Exercise: machine gunning from the air? The War Office would know exactly the kind of figures involved, an exciting statistical problem could be regarded as solved.

In a field they put khaki dummies, on the reverse side of a hill. And afterwards, they reckoned, they could estimate the kill. Opposite these was an audience, to watch the total effect. a sort of fireworks display – but free – the RAF being the architect. All arms were represented? I think so. A grandstand seat was reserved for top brass and others, a healthy open air treat; enclosed beyond the dummies, they stood, (or sat?) and smoked or otherwise passed the time of day, relaxed as they talked and joked.

An experienced Spitfire pilot was briefed to fly over low and give those dummies all he'd got – the star turn of the show, with all the verisimilitude of a surprise attack. Then to his fighter station he would whizz round and back. They waited. And suddenly, waiting, they saw that angel of death come at them over the hillside. Before they could draw breath he passed with all guns firing, some fell on their faces, flat, but the benefit was minimal that anyone had from that He reckoned that they were the dummies, in slap-happy, lone-wolf way, that trigger crazy pilot. He might have been right, some say But bitterness and flippancy don't compensate for men's lives and official notifications posted to mothers and wives.

Nevertheless there were results; percentages were worked out, How 10 percent could be written off, the wounded would be about 50 per cent or so. Oh yes, they got their figures all right. Circulated to units. So at least that ill-omened flight was a part of the Allied war effort, and on the credit side – except for those poor buggers who just stood there and died.

Gavin Ewart

Pete M

Subject: RE: Bombing casualties
From: katlaughing
Date: 13 Mar 01 - 12:11 AM

Pete, based on a true incident? Phew!

Subject: RE: Bombing casualties
From: Pete M
Date: 13 Mar 01 - 03:08 PM

Kat,

yes, one of the dead was Gavin Ewart's cousin.

sorry about the lack of formatting. I forgot that MS Word returns don't paste as breaks. revised post below.

Incident, Second World War
(in memoriam P.M.B. Matson)

Gavin Ewart

It was near the beginning of the war. 1940 or '41.
when everything was fairly new to almost everyone.
The bombing of cities we understood, and blackouts, and certainly, thanks
To the German Army and Airforce, we'd seen dive bombers and tanks.
But when the fighters came in to strafe with hedge-hopping low attacks
how many bits and pieces would be picked up to fill the sacks?
Aircraft cannon were not much fun for the weary grounded troops
and there wasn't much entertainment when the Stukas were looping loops
but nobody knew for certain the percentage who wouldn't get up
how many would be donating their arms and legs to Krupp.
So somebody in an office had the very bright idea,
why not set up an Exercise: machine gunning from the air?
The War Office would know exactly the kind of figures involved,
an exciting statistical problem could be regarded as solved.

In a field they put khaki dummies, on the reverse side of a hill.
And afterwards, they reckoned, they could estimate the kill.
Opposite these was an audience, to watch the total effect,
a sort of fireworks display – but free – the RAF being the architect.
All arms were represented? I think so. A grandstand seat
was reserved for top brass and others, a healthy open air treat;
enclosed beyond the dummies, they stood, (or sat?) and smoked
or otherwise passed the time of day, relaxed as they talked and joked.

An experienced Spitfire pilot was briefed to fly over low
and give those dummies all he'd got – the star turn of the show,
with all the verisimilitude of a surprise attack.
Then to his fighter station he would whizz round and back.
They waited. And suddenly, waiting, they saw that angel of death
come at them over the hillside. Before they could draw breath
he passed with all guns firing, some fell on their faces, flat,
but the benefit was minimal that anyone had from that
He reckoned that they were the dummies, in his slap-happy, lone-wolf way,
that trigger-crazy pilot. He might have been right, some say
But bitterness and flippancy don't compensate for men's lives
and official notifications posted to mothers and wives.

Nevertheless there were results; percentages were worked out,
how 10 percent could be written off, the wounded would be about
50 per cent or so. Oh yes, they got their figures all right.
Circulated to units. So at least that ill-omened flight
was a part of the Allied war effort, and on the credit side –
except for those poor buggers who just stood there and died.

Pete M

Subject: RE: Bombing casualties
From: Penny S.
Date: 13 Mar 01 - 03:18 PM

Here's a link to the Guardian version

Bombing accident

Penny